Snowboard Club UK (SCUK)

Abroad - Bulgaria 2011 - Ideas? Advice?

ls12styler - Aug 16, 2010 - 02:10 PM
Post subject: Bulgaria 2011 - Ideas? Advice?

Hi All,

Myself and three friends plan on visiting Europe for a boarding holiday this January.

Have any of you been to Bulgaria?
What are your thoughts?
Where abouts?
Where would you recommend?

Any other advice/ideas/comments are welcomed!

Thanks,
Ash

atbboy - Aug 16, 2010 - 03:26 PM
Post subject: RE: Bulgaria 2011 - Ideas? Advice?

I went last January to Bansko, it was our first boarding holiday and it was a pretty good place for it. It depends what you're after, we didn't think much of the park but I think it may have been re-done shortly after we left. Lots of tight powdery tree runs if you look for them, some fun stuff following the line of the lifts, and I think there's some good open freeride, but there was a lot of avalanche warnings when we were out there. There's a couple of black runs, but mostly blues and reds.

The town was pretty cool, we didn't venture much off the beaten track, because our hotel was at the bottom of the main road and the gondola station was at the top, but there's a million places to eat, some good and some not so much, but it's all pretty cheap. Eight of us went out there and it cost us around £50 to eat pretty well and have a few drinks every night.

The only warning I would give is this: Don't drink the hot punch/mulled wine at the top restaurant and then head off into the trees when it's getting dark and snowing. We just got horribly lost and had to trek back uphill for about an hour in the dark, which is pretty terrifying when there's no-one else on the mountain and you're on your first boarding holiday!

ls12styler - Aug 16, 2010 - 03:29 PM
Post subject: RE: Bulgaria 2011 - Ideas? Advice?

Thanks! Bulgaria - Bansko does seem pretty cheap for a weeks jollies.

SNO!Bar at CasVegas recommends it too! (They had something on a screen about it)

tomtea - Aug 16, 2010 - 04:03 PM
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Anyone recommend anywhere to stay or book though in Bansko? The girlfriend would prefer to get some lessons whilst we're out there so I'm tempted to book a week on one of the Bansko Snowboard Coach weeks.

ls12styler - Aug 16, 2010 - 04:10 PM
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have a look at www.thomsonski.co.uk seems to have some good deals. That's where I've been looking.

tomtea - Aug 16, 2010 - 04:32 PM
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Yeah, I had a look at Thomson holidays last week, looks pretty cheap! Stupid question but Thomson have the option to buy lift passes for £99 but off the banskoski site, lift passes are about £118. Will they cover the same areas/lifts?

atbboy - Aug 16, 2010 - 04:44 PM
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Should do, there is only the one area, and I can't remember any passes that only did certain lifts.

DereksDontRun - Aug 16, 2010 - 06:09 PM
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pm WFM if he doesn't post here later - he's the Bankso-king and a wealth of good info.

I went in march and had a great time - but you have to go with the right mind-set. If you look for reviews of the place the only negative ones are those that try and compare it against posher and far more expensive French/Alps resorts, and understandably it's not equal. It's an up and coming resort and improving, as such there's a LOT of building work in the town and sadly, probably due to the global recession, there's quite a lot of 1/2 finished buildings left standing. Around the gondola it's certainly not one of the prettiest of towns and be careful walking the streets at night 'cos we found a few man-holes without their covers... Also, they seem to have v little respect for animals - seemed to be lots of stray dogs around the place, know that's upset quite a few ppl in the past.

The transfer from the airport is a mental 3.5hr game of chicken and dodge the pot-hole, so certainly wakes you up ready for the 1st night's entertainment. The town is nice and v cheap (especially for a ski-resort) - a 2 liter bottle of beer is about £2 from the shops and from memory a pint is about £1.50 (think you can get cheaper if you head out of town, but in the center I seem to remember £1.50-£1.80 being the norm - either way, cheaper than here). If you like meat then the traditional restaurants are ace, LOADS of meat, massive fillet steak for about £6 - but would suggest avoiding the traditional places if you're veggie... There's an ace Italian opposite the gondola, can't remember the name, but v popular and v good.

The locals are nice, especially in the town. The workers/staff on the mountain are also v nice, but found some of the local skiers a little harsh/twatish and tended to ignore queues (v un-british Wink

) e.g. was in a turnstyle swiping my lift-pass and got elbowed in the side and pulled back by someone, I stood my ground and got shouted at plus another elbow and a kick to my knee from his ski-boot - he then did the same and barged past the person in the next turnstyle (to everyone's open-mouthed amazement). Know I'm not the biggest of ppl at 5'11 but was still quite surprised by this...

The mountain itself is nice and great for boarding - went with my skiing bro who i think found it a little small and limiting after a while. He was wanting to go as fast as possible down the pistes and it's not suited for those who are after ticking off piste-runs, it's just not big enough. For a week away it's fine, especially for a 1st holiday and beginner-intermediate riders, but could be too small and unchallenging for an experienced rider (on their tod and can't really explore the off-piste). For boarding there's some nice tree runs between runs 5 and 10 and some gentle (ace for 1st time) off-piste around the park. Speaking of the park - forget about it - 1 kicker, 1 small pipe, 1 low box and about 5 rails - all falling apart with side-walls pealing away from the metal structure - think i tried 1 rail and left it. They BADLY need a park-crew and until something happens better than last year, I'd forget about it.

I'd happily go back, and certainly worth the price - it's obviously got its drawbacks but it's a fraction of the price of a western-European resort. If I can get the cash together I'd love to do the BASI 2 course with snowboard-coach and that's something like 10-12 weeks over there - if the place was sh1t they wouldn't have set themselves up there and ppl wouldn't go...

Know this all probably sounds a little negative, but honestly had a great time there. So go with the right mindset and you'll have a blast Wink

ChasKi - Aug 16, 2010 - 06:21 PM
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WFM = Winterfunman, by the way Razz

liggins - Aug 16, 2010 - 06:44 PM
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I went earlier in the year (29th of jan for 9 days)...
I had a great time, the place is cheap and there are too many beds for tha amount of people there..!!

I went over with a group of lads of were loving the pubs and clubs, I went more for the riding and needed some proper sleep. so ended up getting a hotel just down from the gondala for about 27 euro a night, including breakfast Smile

Only thing that did my head in was the lift queues..! if you get to the gondala for 8 you're laughing. If you wait until 08:15/08:30 you'll be queueing for flippings hours.

On the 7th day i needed to leave early and managed to swap my flights for the next morning, bit of a weird one but i ended up paying about 50 quid for a local lad to drive me to sofia in an (roughly) 94 vauxall astra turbo and then find me a hotel for the night.

If you get in a trouble danny fixer is a good bloke to know out there Smile

DereksDontRun - Aug 16, 2010 - 09:30 PM
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forgot to say - when I went in March I booked through Co-operative Travel (not co-op). was about £300 for flights and s/c, plus £19 for transfer with Bansko Express.

you can get Bansko/Bulgaria deals with most ppl (Iglu Ski, Crystal Ski, Thomson, Neilson, Directline, etc)

winterfunman - Aug 16, 2010 - 09:56 PM
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Q------------WFM ( winterfunman ) lol .....i know nothing hahah ...anyone wants inside info on all thi9ngs Bansko pm me so i can give you my personal attention .

i TAKE ZARGORAK BEER TOKENS FOR MY EFFORTS IF I SEE YOU OVER HERE Laughing

pedderz - Aug 17, 2010 - 08:23 AM
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ITS AN AWESOME PLACE FOR THE BEGINNERS AND ALL THAT - WE WENT THREE YEARS RUNNING AND WOULD HAVE GONE BACK AGAIN BUT RAN INTO THE BANSKO MAFIA IN THE LION HOTEL.

THE BAR HERE ISNT RUN BY THE HOTEL, BUT NOBODY TOLD US!!!

MY MATE SPENT TWO HOURS IN THE BOOT OF A "POLICE" CAR WHILST WE TRIED TO SORT OUT WHY WE WERE HAVING OUR ROOMS PACKED!!!

OTHER THAN THAT - ITS AN AWESOME PLACE. GOOD TIMES !!!

stu83 - Aug 17, 2010 - 09:30 AM
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Went to Borovets in March and had an excellent time. Very picturesque with snow-covered wooden shacks and dirt tracks.

I thought there were plenty of runs for a week, although that was only my second snowboard/ski holiday.

Anyone know how the piste sizes compare between Boro and Bankso?

will16valver - Aug 17, 2010 - 04:22 PM
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I was in Bansko for my 1st boarding holiday and i loved it!!
personally i think if your more of an advanced rider then you could get bored on your own unless playing off piste and tree runs.
As a novice it was brill, some lovely blues to get ready for some very exciting reds. i was cacking my self on my first long red.

But yea..... for a novice brilliant place to go... have a look in the Apre ski bar at the bottom of the gondola, lovely place, although alot more expensive than all the other bars in town.

we booked all our own stuff and our chalet was with http://www.christopherchalets.co.uk we had the Rozov... the chef/owner there, Marty was an awsome cook and the rest of the guys there were really nice Smile

Im hoping to go back there again next feb/march time i think.

winterfunman - Aug 17, 2010 - 11:43 PM
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Its good to know whos who , if you go , thats why i drink with and in certain places Razz

WFM has friends you see lol

Never had a horses head in my bed ............ YET

WOKE up to a few mooses lol , but they had bodies attached Laughing

ls12styler - Aug 19, 2010 - 03:28 PM
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winterfunman wrote:

WOKE up to a few mooses lol , but they had bodies attached Laughing

LMAO!!

Bansko Mafia? Rude Ski-ers? Hour long queues after 8:30?
You're not really selling this place!

Still, I think it would be a great place to go. What are the piste's like? How long do they last?

tiffanyH - Aug 19, 2010 - 04:28 PM
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before I went I heard of these mystery hour long queues but I was there in March and never ever queued for longer than one minute.... we just got up there for about 10am or later so it was never a problem!

winterfunman - Aug 19, 2010 - 09:06 PM
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piste map on www.banskoski.com queue jump like the rsukies do , i do then say i no understand bulgarian lol

No its a great place , good for beginners, inters and expert if you know where to go off piste , great place if you like a different place and like adventure

each to there own , will have final costs of various hotels/chalets if ppl want pm me

DereksDontRun - Aug 19, 2010 - 09:20 PM
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m8, how's the place after the bad floods in May? read of a lot of damage - that all sorted now? any planned improvements to the slope/mountain (think I remember reading of a change to run 14 so it might actually ever open?!?)

liggins - Aug 19, 2010 - 09:41 PM
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tiffanyH wrote:

When i went we hit a romanian bank holiday and the locals explained thats why the queues were particularly bad at times

winterfunman - Aug 19, 2010 - 10:25 PM
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Infratructure that was damaged ( mainly roads ) etc have all been done , run 14 not done but thet have been upgrading 4 man to 6 man etc and cut a few trees dwon b4 ....tree huggers got involved , on hold at mo , but knowing ulen , tree huggers wont totally stop them , plus more tree fell in the high winds than they want / need to cut down

Im off over in late september to have a long weekend and see whats what etc Smile

will16valver - Aug 20, 2010 - 10:24 AM
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how about that lift at the top of 5/10 that burnt down in Jan, is that sorted?

tiffanyH - Aug 20, 2010 - 10:27 AM
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liggins wrote:

When i went we hit a romanian bank holiday and the locals explained thats why the queues were particularly bad at times

ahhh i never even thought of that Embarassed

have to remember to check before i book next year! that's a small fact the could really affect your holiday, thanks for explaining Smile

tiffanyH - Aug 20, 2010 - 10:39 AM
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:O the lift burnt down? 10 and 5 were fun fun fun for me, nice and easy! was this to do with the Bansko mafia lot you speak of?

will16valver - Aug 20, 2010 - 11:44 AM
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not the lift up to 5 and ten, the one from there that goes to the peak is the one i mean, i think it was a drag lift?!

atbboy - Aug 20, 2010 - 12:13 PM
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When I went in Jan there was a couple of drag lifts to the high point, and what looked like a burnt down lift station under a lot of snow...

liggins - Aug 20, 2010 - 01:59 PM
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wasn;t it a cafe that was in the way of a new lift (that was burnt down by the mafia???)

winterfunman - Aug 20, 2010 - 02:25 PM
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all flattened and been sorted ........mafia hahahah i laugh at them when im back in england Razz

as long as you dont bed there mothers , wifes or daughters and you tip well your fine Thumbs Up

otlawrence - Aug 21, 2010 - 07:33 PM
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have been to borovets for the last two years, it is class. Im going france or austria this year but booking another trip myself later on in the season because it is such good value.

I went through thomas cook (they matched our online price) and got flights, trans, half board at the rila, then bought a package for £145 which included 3 2 hour tuition, boot and board hire. all that for less than £500. well worth it, some of the boots look like they dont have much life left in them, but if its your first time, i couldnt recommend it more. staying in one of the bigger places like the rila or samokov hotel is prob best.

Its great athmosphere at night, free shots in the bars, cheap beer......and the beer is awesome, no headaches next morning, kicks the arse off a pint of carling!

Im heading back out there next feb/march, if you can be arsed sorting it yourself it can be soooooooo cheap. would def reccomend borovets, i might fdancy bansko myself but borovets has a canny mountain and loads off piste too. i spoke to a guy there from england who has been for the last 11 years, and he has done all the big resorts in austria france etc cos when it snows its just as good as anywhere he reckons!

Snowscreen - Aug 22, 2010 - 02:29 PM
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when it snows its just as good.... thats the main issue really for Bulgaria, I've been 3 times because like you say it can be great value, when I did pamporovo it cost me £320 with crystalski, flights, half board including lift pass, taking my own board.

But when the snows poor in Pamps and borovets, like last year early on, they had to bus people over to Bansko didnt they. Fortunately I'd booked Bansko for March and was fine.

Only bad point last year in Bansko was a crazy bulgarian snowboarder who took my otherhalf out (resulting in skidoo ride to medics) and also the instructor we'd booked was really really poor! apart from that it was great

BestieBoy - Aug 22, 2010 - 07:07 PM
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Anyone know if there are still queues at the Gondola after 10am? I'm too lazy to beat the rush.

Also, anyone got any idea when the parks usually open for bizznizz? I'll be there from 15th November and don't want to wait around too long!

winterfunman - Aug 23, 2010 - 07:46 PM
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All dependant if your there on there holiday period , as theres differ from ours , if you go on www.talkbansko.com there is a list of there holiday dates etc ..... park didnt really get sorted till late feb , as local do it , but i have heard it will be done earlier and better by the ulen team ?? so if i get any info i shall drop a msg on here .....
snowscreen who diod you book your instructor through ??????

dubtricks - Sep 04, 2010 - 09:08 PM
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Hi all,

We're heading over to Bansko on 26 Dec for a week, so will be out there for New Year - anyone else planning to be around at the same time?

Also, we've booked our flights and accommodation, but still need to book some transfers from Sofia - does anyone have any recommendations?

winterfunman - Sep 05, 2010 - 09:52 AM
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yep for sure use www.axemandiscovery.com and mention me ( aka winterfunman ) told you to use him , great guy , hes called emil , reliable fun and safe 9 some are cheaper but if you want a roller coaster ride or death ride book a cheaper transfer .....trust me on this one ppl)

winterfunman - Sep 05, 2010 - 09:54 AM
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If they have had the early season annual dump i may be over then ....and if other things tie in nicely too

DereksDontRun - Sep 05, 2010 - 11:13 AM
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I used http://www.banskoexpress.com/ which worked... no idea if these are the ppl WFM's suggesting by roller-coaster death-ride, but almost sums it up. Well, it certainly woke us up from the plane, weaving between traffic while the driver was more concentrated on rooting through the glove-box for something. I found it funny but think the others in the coach were less sure about it all.

winterfunman - Sep 05, 2010 - 02:09 PM
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i couldnt real name them , but a few offer death roller coaster on ya seat rides for less than a nice safe refreshing transfer

snowlover1 - Sep 05, 2010 - 08:46 PM
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The mountain that serves Bansko simply isn't big enough for the amount of people. VERY busy.

I have been twice and although the 1st time I went it was good, the second trip was dreadful due to the 2 hour queue to get up every morning and then waiting up to an hour to get on the chairs. We were getting like 5 runs per day!

Also they regulary close the top chairs due to high winds which of course makes the lower slopes even busier.

I personally don't think it's that cheap either. A week all in (everything) will still set you back about 800 or 900 quid (if you drink beer).

Like I said I did have a good time there a couple of years back but I think you need to get a bit 'lucky'.

I willl not be going back and if I was you I would spend a couple of hundred pounds more and go to France or Austria.

Good luck in whatever you decide and if it's Bansko, you will need it.

martymun - Sep 09, 2010 - 08:37 PM
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Will, thanks for that - I'm blushing!
We've just changed the website so it's www.pisteandpeaks.com now -it's still us though!

There is quite a bit of work going on at the moment in Bansko, with one of the 4 man chairs being replaced with a 6 man and some mysterious digging around the burnt out restaurant and drag at the top. The rumour is that that the drag lifts on top of the mountain will be replaced with a chairlift - fingers crossed!

There are some new snow cannons popping up here and there too...

kriss - Sep 09, 2010 - 09:49 PM
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i've been to two bulgarian resorts and would go back to them both !

pamporovo is an awesome little resort, one of the lifts is pretty ghetto (the single chair to the mid station, so ghetto infact it reminds me of home(aka the single chair at glenshee). the only trouble with pamporovo is getting the bus there and back, which kind of sucks as it controls when you go up, when you come back down !!! oh and the people selling bells !! the lifts are all mainly chairs and when it snows you have some kick ass runs down through the trees under the chair etc, we did several runs here without ever seeing anyone !! my dad learnt here and he had an awesome instructor, they took the chair up in the morning and played on a slope as wide as the lenght of a football pitch if not better. when we were there the snow was amazing, the best i've had !! second time, the snow gods were a bit tighter Sad

bankso ! much bigger ! but personally i didn't like it as much as pamps, the thing that put me off, is not so much the queue in the morning but the attitude of the people queing, locals and ski teachers, seem to have predefined disposition that makes them unable to queue without pushing, people jumping in the gondala when it's six people up with sledges is just not on !! ont he slops is meh ! the black run is basically a vertical mogul chute down to the bottom, it's a pretty steep resort so if you've got newbies unfortunately theres not much area for them to access without getting on a lift and heading up the hill, might be a bit daunting.

my only real gripe with bulgaria is the transfers can be an utter ballache !!!

dubtricks - Sep 12, 2010 - 07:51 PM
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Thanks for the advise on transfers guys - have e-mailed axemandiscovery and banskoexpress for more info (and to make sure they're working on boxing day), but both sound promising.

Glad to hear they're doing some work on the lifts over there - that sounds like good news for the new season.....now I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that they sort the park out really early next season...and that it snows!

winterfunman - Sep 12, 2010 - 08:40 PM
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Hi dubtricks have replied to your pm ...... park wise all dependant on local doooooooooooooooooooooodes getting there act together and a good base to start from too , emil works 24/7 every day 365 days a year , hence why i use and recommend him

dubtricks - Sep 13, 2010 - 02:59 PM
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Yeah, Emil got back to me straight away which was quite impressive, even though I e-mailed him Sunday night, and his price was pretty competitive as well, so I think we'll book with him as soon as I can get everyone to agree!

I really hope the local park dudes get their act together this season! Worst case scenario, I guess we'll just have to build a few kickers of our own!

winterfunman - Sep 13, 2010 - 09:47 PM
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i have been giving emil some driving tips too last time

winterfunman - Sep 13, 2010 - 09:48 PM
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If and when you finally book him , mention me so i get my zargorka tokens from him Laughing